Mutharika’s aide Chisale arrested over cement-gate:  Malawi police quiz Asian businessman Chunara

Former president Peter Mutharika’s personal bodyguard Norman Chisale has been arrested by Malawi Police Services (MPS) i in connection with cement worth K5 billion which was  imported duty-free.

Chisale was put under arrest when he presented himself to police Tuesday morning after leanring that the law enforcers were going to nab him following their interrogation of  business person  Mahmed Shafee Ahmed Chunara on Monday.

National Police spokesperson James Kadadzera confirmed Prestige Import and Export owner, Chunara,  was questioned by the law enforcers over his involvement in the importation of cement using former president’s name.

Police sources indicate that Chonara implicated Chisale to be behind the cement scandal after he  was named in public tax collectors documents indicanting that he was involved in the importantion of 1.2 million bags of cement worth K5 billion.

He also claimed that all border clearances were done by Chisale.

The police source added that Chunara claimed there is documented evidence that the cement was collected by a State House official during time Mutharika was President and that the documents have been surrendered to the authorities.

Kadadzera a said Fiscal Police are continuing with their  investigations.

“We can confirm that he is in our custody in Lilongwe. Its premature for me to comment on the charges or any details because doing so may jeopardize investigations. When investigations are ripe we will inform the public,” said Kadadzera.

The Malawi Police Service, Fiscal and Fraud Section, already  arrested former Malawi Revenue Authority (MRA) deputy commissioner general Roza Mbilizi in connection to the the cement Mutharika imported between 2018 and 2019 duty-free from Zambia and Zimbabwe.

Before Mutharika was ousted from power in the June 23 fresh presidential election, State House and MRA on June 16 justified the transaction as “within the law”, as it was for personal use.

The Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act allows the President “duty free importation of items for personal use”.

But private practice lawyer John-Gift Mwakhwawa had said the volume involved raised doubts on the “personal use” provision in the Presidents (Salaries and Benefits) Act and had called for an investigation.